Roaming Reviews

Conic Hill I got the flatmates involved, this time taking them to loch Lomond. The route out to the hill from Glasgow is fairly straightforward if you plan out onward travel times. We first took a train from central station to Hyndland, where we then swapped trains and headed to Balloch a small town beside the Loch. The travel time is about an hour and costs £4.50 for an open return ticket if you have a rail card. We had a quick look around the town before getting on a bus to Balmaha, which took us through the countryside and got us to the hill carpark in no time. This was my second time here as last year I had planned to climb Conic hill, which you can walk up to from the town of Balmaha, however despite my best planning efforts, when I arrived the path was closed for repairs. I was slightly disappointed but I made the most of the trip by spending time beside the loch and doing smaller trails. This time it was back open and we began to climb up. The hike takes about 30 minutes to re...

 Pollock Country Park  Today I want to share with everyone about one of my favourite discoveries since moving to Glasgow. Normally when people recommend places in Glasgow it is either the city centre or the west end, which is why I want to share this place with everyone. It is a place called Pollock Country Park which is located in the southside of Glasgow and is the only country park in Glasgow. It takes about 35 minutes to reach by bus from the city centre. I go there regularly by using the   number 57 bus route and I visit the park when I need to take a break from studying, have a day out or to clear my mind. The park itself is vast which is great as I can still discover new areas each time I go, although I do always go past the highland cow fields as I’m a big animal lover. The park has so much to do, from visiting Pollock house, to walking around the walled gardens, wildlife gardens, enjoying a picnic and even seeing the award winning Burrell Collection which reope...

 William Wallace Monument  I thought I would share another trip with you all this week, I started my day by catching a bus from Buchanan bus station up to Stirling, which takes 40 minutes by Megabus. I would warn you about the X36 bus, it goes to Stirling, but it will take you twice as long to get there. Anyways, I decided to visit the Wallace monument, simply out of curiosity. I see it every time I drive to my hometown in Aberdeen, but I have never stopped to see inside. This trip I did with my boyfriend who joined me in Stirling, where we could either take the number 52 or the university link bus across town to the monument car park. The walk up to the monument is about 15 minutes or you can take their shuttle buses up. There is still a view from there but I would recommend that you pay to go inside the monument as the 360 degree view from the top was unmatched. It does cost £11 per adult which in my opinion is on the pricier side, but there was three rooms of historical fac...

Isle Of Arran I’m back with another trip, and it’s a big one. I took a trip to the Isle of Arran, a small island situated off of the West coast of Scotland. This may seem ambitious but trust me its more accessible than you may think. I will admit I didn’t travel alone; I got my boyfriend involved to come across with me for the day.   We started the journey through catching a 45 minute train from Glasgow Central station to a town called Ardrossan which you can get a return ticket for just £11.20 with a railcard. We  could then board the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran. The crossing is very smooth and quick, taking about an hour and costs roughly £5 per foot passenger. Once off the ferry we began our hike to the Glen Rosa blue pools. From Brodick harbour it takes about two hours to walk up to the pools and then two hours back down. The path is also on tough terrain and boggy at times, so I would recommend wearing hiking shoes for this trail. The walk itself is ...

I thought I would kick off my blog with the Japanese gardens in Dollar that I visited this weekend. I had seen pictures of the gardens before but hadn’t got a chance to visit, so on Saturday morning I used my under 22 free bus pass and travelled to Stirling where I could then rent a car and drive out to the gardens. You may be thinking how I managed to rent a car at age 20, but with Enterprise Car Club you can if you are 19 or over and have had a full license for more than a year. The drive to the gardens is about 30 minutes from Stirling; however, I would warn you that the road up to the gardens is a winding country road with little passing places, so do take care. The gardens are open from 10:30-5pm with a student entry price of £7.   On arrival I was provided with a map which showed three different sections of the garden to explore and it took me about an hour to walk leisurely around the whole site. I also stopped in at the garden café for a sandwich and a scone, which was good...